A Carbon County man who police said was denied a firearm purchase five years ago and then obtained one and used it in a 2023 fracas was sentenced on Friday in U.S. District Court, Scranton, to serve 18 months on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

David Feliciano-Seize, 61, of Weatherly, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julia K. Munley in proceedings in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, Feliciano-Seize attempted to purchase a firearm in 2021, but the purchase was denied based upon his prior conviction for armed robbery. Officials said he thereafter illegally obtained a firearm, and on Oct. 22, 2023, brandished that firearm and began shooting into the air during a dispute with his girlfriend’s family. Police said he aimed the firearm at members of his girlfriend’s family.

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the resources of the Department of Justice to repel illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.